


An Extra Glass

by TheGeniusCallsYou



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Issues, Friendship, Gen, Guilt, Liz Shaw is done with both of them, Post-Serial: s052 The Silurians, Post-Serial: s053 The Ambassadors of Death, Post-Serial: s061 The Curse of Peladon, The Brig needs a break, Third is a dick but a good friend, beginning of the most epic friendship in the universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-13 17:45:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14117610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGeniusCallsYou/pseuds/TheGeniusCallsYou
Summary: In the wake of the Silurians' Accident the Doctor is still very angry with the Brigadier and refuses to talk to him.Meanwhile, the Brigadier must come to terms not only with his guilt about the whole thing but also with his divorce and doesn't take it all very well.A look into a beginning of a friendship that lasted longer than the time itself.





	1. Don't tell me, I don't care

**Author's Note:**

> I've recently started rewatching the Third Doctor stories and fell in love with them yet again. The Brigadier was always my favorite companion and his friendship with the Doctor is something very uniqe. I had this idea for a fic for a very long time now and finally made myself to sit down and write it.  
> It's gonna have 2, maybe 3 chapters in total. The first one takes place after the Silurians and the closing one, so either 2 or 3, after the Ambassadors  
> I remember reading "Scales of Injustice" where it was mentioned that around that time Brigadier's divorce was taking place and decided to focus on that. Third could be a dick many times but we all know that he would take a bullet for the Brig without hesitation.
> 
> Anyway, all possible typos etc. are mine - some will always escape me, no matter how many times I check for them, yet I hope there aren't many.
> 
> Happy reading and I hope you will stick with me till the end :)

It was late at night yet there was still a light in one of the windows at UNIT HQ. It was faint and coming from a desk lamp that didn’t even shine at the desk but at the wall instead. A man was sitting behind the desk. By all means he should be asleep, God knew he deserved it after all the havoc of last couple of days. He shouldn’t be sitting in his office, nursing a glass of brandy with one third of the bottle already empty instead. He should be at home, with his wife and daughter, kissing them both goodnight. But he didn’t have that anymore, no. There were papers lying on the desk just to his left, right next to the bottle. They were mocking him straight in the face, his own signature staring back at him. 

_You’re a murder, Brigadier! They were a sentient species with no mean of defence!_

He did what had to be done.

_I don’t want to live like this, Alistair! I don’t deserve it! Neither does Kate!_

Maybe his wife, no - ex-wife, was right.

_You have their blood on your hands!_

Maybe so was the Doctor.

Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart winced and wiped his hand across his face, then covered his eyes. He was tired. So deadly tired but the sleep just wouldn’t come. There was still too much adrenaline coursing through his veins, even now.  
There was a cot in the corner for occasions like this. Lately, he used it quite frequently - yet another reason for Fiona to leave him. He just hoped his men didn’t notice that he slept more and more in his office.  
He took a shaky breath in, still not removing his hand from his eyes. His other hand was shaking but Alistair didn’t seem to notice. There were voices in his head that didn’t want to be quiet. His men that he had lost, the Doctor, Fiona and Katie… God, his little daughter. Would he be able to see her again or would she be growing up without her father? Not that he was all too present recently, he thought bitterly and winced.  
The Brigadier laid his hand on the desk and looked at the papers to his left. Something finally snapped inside of him. He didn’t even blink when the glass shattered upon connecting with the wall. It’s bits scattered on the floor and liquid staining both the little rug and the wall. He was just like this glass - broken. 

 

It was late, when the Doctor left his lab and walked down the corridor, heading towards the storage room, where he would find some spare parts for his latest experiment. The whole building was deserted, not a living soul in it, as it should be at this hour. He hid his hands in his pockets and walked ahead.  
It had been a couple of days since the dreaded Silurian accident and the Time Lord was still furious at the single thought about those creatures. He had thought he had knew the Brigadier, respected him even but after what he had done… he didn’t know if he could forgive the man. Lethbridge-Stewart committed genocide and the worst part was, he hadn’t even seemed to care. The Doctor could feel his anger rising at the mere memory how calm and calculated Lethbridge-Stewart looked like, when the alien all but beaten him with his own fists.  
He took a deep breath as he turned around the corner heading towards the storage room but then he abruptly stopped. He had almost missed it but there, shining on his boots, unmistakably was a light coming from under the door to his right. The Doctor frowned. A light at this hour? Who decided to stay in the building and be up? His frown deepened as he realised before whose door he was standing. What the devil was the Brigadier still doing here?  
For a moment the Doctor debated what to do. He was still angry at Lethbridge-Stewart and hadn’t spoken to the man since that onesidded shouting fit they, or rather the Doctor, had. He was ready to move past the door, he even made one step forward but hesitated.  
There was this weird feeling inside of him. The Doctor grimaced and turned to face the door lifting his hand and knocking on the wood. There was no answer. He frowned and knocked again.

„Lethbridge-Stewart?” Still no answer which made his unease grow. For a split second he debated what to do next but finally his sudden worry won over anything else and he reached for the handle.

_Blast it._

The door wasn’t locked and it give away with no resistance which made his frown deepen.  
As he entered, the Doctor stopped in his tracks. There was Lethbridge-Stewart, sitting on his chair, facing the wall to his right with his profile towards the door, completely oblivious that someone entered his office. If the Doctor could claim he wasn’t worried before, he sure now was. The Brigadier didn’t have his jacket on, it was discarded together with his tie on the floor next to the chair he was sitting on. The Doctor frowned again as he noticed the flask of brandy on the desk, which by now was half empty. The Time Lord wondered if it was full before. As he followed Brigadier’s line of sight, he saw a staining on the wall with glass pieces on the floor below. Yet, the thing that worried the Doctor the most was the vacant expression on Alistair’s face. 

He carefully approached the soldier, not wanting to startle him. He rounded the desk and stood next to him.

„Brigadier?” No reaction. The Doctor sighed and slowly moved to touch the other man’s shoulder. „Alistair?” 

That did it. Lethbridge-Stewart blinked a couple of times and moved his gaze away from the stain on the wall and towards the alien. The Time Lord moved his hand away and leaned on the desk. 

„Doctor?” Well, he was surprised, that the Brigadier’s speech wasn’t slurred considering the amount of brendy the man had drunk prior. Even if his accent seemed a little less proper, the Doctor could swear he could hear a hint of Scottish there. His eyes tho seemed a little bit unfocused. „What are you doing here?”

„I could ask you the same question, Lethbridge-Stewart. Do you know what time it is?”

The Doctor crossed his arms on his chest and studied the Brigadier. He didn’t like what he saw. There were dark circles under the man’s eyes, he was pale and from under his shirt, thanks to the lack of tie and two open buttons, he could see some very ugly bruising spreading at the base of his neck. Lethbridge-Stewart leaned into his chair and regarded the Doctor lazaly. He looked totally resigned.

„What is it, Doctor? If you have something important, you can come by the morning. I’m a little busy at the moment.” 

„Yes, I can see that. Drinking is a matter of utmost importance,” the Doctor scoffed and moved away from the desk, as anger rose inside of him. He was almost by the door when he stopped dead in his tracks as he heard Brigadier’s voice from behind him. 

„I also believe, you have better things to do. You made yourself quite clear the last time we spoke, that you don’t want to have anything to do with mass murder.”

The Time Lord whipped around and stared at the Brigadier. The man wasn’t looking at him, but rather at the point somewhere above his shoulder. His jaw was set and both of his hands were squeezed into fists as they laid on the chair rests. As the Doctor started, the other man’s eyes slowly moved towards him.

„I still wouldn’t change a thing, Doctor. I would do exactly the same, time and time again if I had to.”

„Would you indead.”

The Brigadier averted his gaze back towards the wall. His shoulders slumped and for a moment he looked as if he was seeing something only he could see.

„Do you know how many people have died, Doctor? 312. 312 people, even after you developed the cure… after they took you… if miss Show didn’t…” the Brigadier started to stutter and didn’t finish. He bowed his head and massaged his forehead with his hand. He was so, so tired. „I’ve lost 24 man. At least they knew the risks, all those people? They didn’t.” He covered his eyes and shook his head.

The Doctor moved back inside the room and regarded the man slumped in the chair. He no longer looked like the cold, stiff man, he argued with a couple of days ago. The Time Lord didn’t even noticed when he sat down in the other vacant chair next to the desk. 

„What happened to your neck, Brigadier?”

The human startled from whatever thoughts he was lost in and moved his hand towards his neck, then winced as it made contact with the bruised skin.

„Oh, this? Dr Lawrence was very displeased when he came down with the plague.”

The Doctor’s eyes winded at that. „He attacked you?” If the contact with major Baker hadn’t made Lethbridge-Stewart fell ill with the plague the extra exposure… The Doctor swallowed. It was too close call and he didn’t even know about it.

The Brigadier shrugged and waved his hand dismissively then reached for the bottle.

„Better me than miss Shaw - we were both present in the room at that time.” He took a swing from the bottle and swallowed. „If I came down with the plague, it wouldn’t matter. If she did, on the other hand…”

The Doctor looked closely at the Brigadier as the knot of unease began to grow inside of him. If he had known, how close it had been…

„You’re wrong,” he suddenly said. Lethbridge-Stewart looked towards him startled.

„I beg your pardon?” 

„That it wouldn’t matter, you’re wrong about that.” 

The Brigadier huffed a mirthless laugh and shock his head.

„It’s very kind of you, Doctor, but you don’t need to do that. You’ve made your mind about my person quite clear the last time we’ve spoken.”

The Doctor grimaced and shook his head looking at the man in front of him.

„You’re drunk, Brigadier.”

„Yes, probably. But not as drunk as you may think.”

Silence fell between the two of them. Not yet uncomfortable but you could sense an edge of tension present. The Doctor took his eyes from the Brigadier to notice a stuffed suitcase stocked in the corner between the wall and the closet. Why did Lethbridge-Stewart had a packed suitcase in his office? His gaze snapped back to the man as he heard a question from his mouth and saw that they now both were looking at the case in the corner.

„Do you have children, Doctor?” He regarded the man in the chair and his slumped, defeated posture.

„Yes, yes I do.”

„Wouldn’t you do anything for them?” The man was still looking at the case.

„I suppose I would.”

The Brigadier’s gaze finally met the Doctor’s.

„You suppose?”

„I know, I would.”

„Even if it meant killing a whole intelligent species that could be a very potential threat to them?”

The Doctor’s eyes winded at that, yet he didn’t answer. That wasn’t the kind of question he was expecting.  
The Brigadier averted his gaze, he was doing it quite a lot since the Doctor had come in, and let out a shaky breath as he looked down and closed his eyes.

„I know why you’re angry, Doctor but people were dying, no, they did die. Yes, there was a chance we could coexist with the Silurians but there was also a chance the scenario could be repeated. Different plague, different means to an end with possibility you wouldn’t be here to help us fight it. There are people under my protection, even if they don’t even know it… I made the only choice, that could avoid killing more sons, daughters, wives and husbands… That choice… is on me and me only, Doctor.”

Lethbridge-Stewart didn’t look up at him but there was something that made the Doctor pause. Something was off and yes, the alien was moved by the short, even if a little slurred, speech the Brigadier gave but it wasn’t all. Something else was eating the man up. Something eternally different. The Doctor chew on his fingernail for a bit and then leaned forward.

“What is it, Brigadier?” The man finally looked up and met his gaze.”The Silurians happened days ago. I don’t doubt your fillings, but why now?” Lethbridge-Stewart looked as if there was a battle going on inside of him. Finally, he breathed out a sigh of defeat and reached to his left, leaving the bottle on the desk. He took a paper lying on the desk into his hand and passed it to the Doctor. The alien took it and frowned not yet reading it.

“What’s this?” He asked. The Brigadier shook his head and waved his hand in the Doctor’s direction indicating him to read it. With a frown still visible he began to read, yet as soon as he noticed the title his eyes winded and he looked back at the soldier in front of him but the man’s gaze was focused on the wall. The Doctor went back to reading and with each line his frown deepened and he could feel his hearts drop. Finally he let the paper fall onto his lap. “What does full custody mean?”

The Brigadier sighed but didn’t look at the Doctor as he answered.

“It means, Doctor, that my ex-wife will get full parental rights to our daughter. She will be the one raising her, making choices for her education and living with her, while I will have no say in that matter. It means, that without Fiona’s permission, I won’t be even able to see my baby girl.”

“I’m really sorry, old chap.” The Doctor didn’t know what to say to Brigadier’s quiet answer. Sorry didn’t even cover what he felt at the moment. Lethbridge-Stewart nodded nevertheless, then swallowed and let out a humorless laugh.

“You see, Doctor, they left protection of Earth in the hands of a man whose unable to even keep his own family together.” The Time Lord grimaced and, as the man still wasn’t looking at him, he stood up and runded the desk. “Maybe it’s for the better tho, I wouldn’t want for Katie to grow up with a murder for a father.”

“Would you stop that?” Even the Doctor was surprised at the edge in his voice and it sure made the Brigadier to look up at him as he positioned himself next to the soldier’s chair. “Brooding and self pity does not suit you, Lethbridge-Stewart.”

“Doctor - “ There was a warning note in the man’s voice.

“Yes, you did blew the whole species up, but it was wrong of me to come at you like I did.” The brigadier gaped at him as he continued. “You made a choice but I’m not the one to judge you and I shouldn’t have. Now, listen to me, Lethbridge-Stewart: You’re a good man and father, because a good father keeps his children safe. Your daughter may not realise it yet, but in time she will.”

Silence fell between them as the Brigadier looked at the Doctor with surprise written across his face. Then finally, the soldier relaxed and looked up fully at him with a smile playing in the corner of his lips.

“Doctor, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you were trying to cheer me up or, dare I say, apologise.”

The alien looked abashed for a moment and started to mingle with his hands.

“Well, we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves now, should we?” He then pointed towards the bottle on the desk.” Now, Brigadier, my dear fellow, you wouldn’t mind sharing that fine brendy of yours, considering I’m already here? I heard it’s considered rude among humans to drink alone.”

The Brigadier smiled then, his mustache twitching as he moved his chair back a little bit.

“I wouldn’t mind, Doctor but alas I seemed to misplace my only glass.”

“Yes,” the Doctor rubbed his hand across his lower lip, then waved in the general direction of the stain on the wall. “Have fun explaining that one. So, may I?” He indicated the bottle. The Brigadier just lifted his eyebrow and dipped his head in permison. The Doctor lifted the bottle and studied the label. “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time for me to drink straight from the bottle. Your health, Brigadier.” He took a swing and immediately felt the burn spreading down his esophagus. “Vile stuff, how’s that you’re not lying beneath your desk by now?” He asked wincing as he still could feel the burn in his throat and lower.  
The Brigadier just smirked wider and extended his hand towards the Doctor but the alien moved the bottle away from him. “One last sip, old chap. You already had enough and the hour is late as it is.” 

But the Brigadier surprised him as he took the bottle away from him, then screw it shut and hid it in his drawer. 

“You’re right, Doctor, it’s high time to wrap it up.” There was still sadness in his eyes as he looked at the papers on his desk but then he sighed and moved to stand up. What he hadn’t accounted for, was that the amount of liquidor he consumed could have an affect on him and Alistair found the word tilting to the wrong direction as he moved.

“Whoa! Steady there, chap,” The Doctor’s hands were on his shoulders immediately steading him. Alister felt lightheaded and was sure that if it wasn’t for the Doctor’s hands he would be lying face first on the ground. The word was still spinning as he felt his arm dragged across the Time Lord’s shoulders and his back supported, preventing him from falling. “Now, put your leg forward, Brigadier. That’s it, splendid.” 

“I’m not an invalid, Doctor.” He murmured as his eyes closed on their own acount. The whole exostation was crushing him down and almost pulling him towards the floor. But the Doctor held him tight and took almost all his weight all but dragging him towards the cot. He could feel the alien chuckle as they moved.

“You most certainly aren’t, Brigadier but we wouldn’t like one of your man finding you in the morning lying on the floor all undignifying, would we?” Lethbridge-Stewart sighed in agreement but didn’t find any strength to vocalise his answer. It was as if standing up and moving was taking all his remaining energy. “All right, here we are.” The Brigadier felt himself being laid down on the cot. There was a pillow shoved beneath his head and then he could feel his shoelaces being unmade. 

“Doctor, it’s not like my wife would mind me sleeping with my shoes on.” He murmured but didn’t bother to open his eyes.

“Hmm yes, but your feet would.” Answered the Doctor removing one shoe at the time, then putting them neatly next to the cot. Next, he looked around the office looking for the blanket. It surely was somewhere here. He let a triumphant noise escape his lips as he found one under the cot and carefully tucked it around Lethbridge-Stewart who already seemed soundly asleep. He took extra care as he straightened the man’s collar, making sure not to touch the tender skin beneath and made a mental note to give the man something for that bruising. As he looked down on the Brigadier’s sleeping face it was difficult for him to imagine how angry he had been at him a couple of hour prior. He still felt some level of frustration but a deep sorrow outweighted that first feeling as he looked down at the sleeping man.

The Doctor sighed and whipped a hand across his own eyes. Life was so unfair sometimes.  
Carefully, not to make any unnecessary noise he moved to the Brigadier’s desk and scribbled a note not to disturb him to stick to the door outside. The man needed his sleep - desperately. The Doctor nodded with approval after reading it and threw a quick look at the divorce papers still laying on the desk. There would be something for him to do tomorrow but now it was time for him to go to sleep as well.

Yet, before he left the office completely there was one last thing for him to do here. He moved back towards the man sleeping on the cot, collecting his uniform jacket and tie on the way there and then leaving it folded on the chair then leaned down as he get there. Judging by the amount of alcohol the Brigadier had consumed, the Doctor wouldn’t be surprised if the man woke up with a massive hangover and that surely wouldn’t help the rest that Lethbridge-Stewart very much needed at the moment. The Time Lord put his hand on the man’s forehead and closed his eyes in deep concentration. After a moment he lifted it back up and smiled with satisfaction. The Brigadier rolled on his side in his sleep.

“Good night, Alistair.” The Doctor straightened up then and switched off the desk lamp leaving the office by closing the door without making any noise. He didn’t forget to stick the note he had made to the wooden frame. 

 

_tbc..._


	2. Matters of Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon not finding the Doctor on the next day, the Brigadier has a talk with Liz and she’s not happy that he has hidden his injures from them. Meanwhile, the Doctor’s on a mission...

Slowly, with no hurry at all, Alistair opened his eyes, blinking a couple of times as the sun shone through his window directly at his face. Well, his body was most certainly awake, his mind on the other hand… He stretched and then wiped his eyes and yawned. He laid there not moving for a moment, realising that he felt more rested than he could ever remembered being. That set him off. With a frown he looked to his left, noticing the stain on the wall. Oh, yes, he had stayed up late and been drinking. That meant only one thing - he should be hangover as hell. He moved the blanket aside, a blanket he didn’t remember taking, and carefully sat up. Nothing. No killer headache, splitting his skull in a half making him feel like Zeus giving birth to Athena. Nothing. And another curious thing, he didn’t have his shoes on. He looked around and spotted them below the cot.  
He didn’t remember taking them off and most certainly, didn’t remember putting them there. Well, it seemed he didn’t remember quite a lot of things from last night.  
Alistair put his shoes on and moved to the closet to retrieve a fresh shirt. His uniform jacket and tie were lying in a neat pile on the chair. Interesting, that he definitely did not do. Well, it didn’t matter at the moment, what did, was that he needed to shave. Which turned out to be pretty hard because of the damn bruising spreading even wider that before. The Brigadier winced as he touched his neck. The blasted thing hurt like hell right now and looked even more ugly as it began changing colours.  
He finished shaving and dressing up for sheer stubbornness as he wanted to throw the razor at the wall more than once.  
As he tied his tie he noticed the clock above the door and his eyes winded. Just how it was possible he had slept for so long and how nobody had woken him up?!

„Sergeant Benton, just the man I’ve wanted to see,” he almost run down the man as he left his office with haste. Alistair straighten up to cover it up.

„Sir,” Benton saluted and looked somewhere above Brigadier’s shoulder.

„Were there any problems today, sergeant?”

„Problems? No, sir, everything’s running smoothly. There was a little training accident with private Donavan but nothing big, sir.” 

„Accident?” He didn’t like the sound of that. „Why wasn’t I informed about it immediately?”

Benton didn’t look apologetic at all, more shepish than anything and Alistair squinted his eyes with suspicion.

„You were not to be disturbed, sir.” Not to be, what?!

„And who claimed that?”

„The Doctor, sir.” The Brigadier’s eyebrows went up as he looked dumbfounded at his sergeant. „See for yourself, sir.” Benton pointed behind him and Alistair found himself looking at the paper pinned to his door. What in heaven was that? He ripped it off and started to read.

_To anyone concerned: the Brigadier is in need of rest and as it is, any chap who will find the need to disturb him will find me very displeased and with a possibility to be turned into a mandalusian ferret.  
Take care all of you, the Doctor._

He read it again and then again once more. That was… unexpected and he didn’t know if it was wise to ask, what in blazes a mandalusian ferret was.

„Sir?” He still hadn’t spoken a word and Benton was getting worried.

„You may go, Sargeant.” 

„Sir!” Alistair didn’t take notice in Benton’s leaving, instead he again read the note. It was weird, the last time he spoke with the Doctor, the alien wanted to reap him to shreads. The Brigadier was sure that if that machine of his was working, the Time Lord would go and never look back. So why sticking that note to his door? There was no reason to it, unless…  
Alistair eyes winded and his hands all but crushed the note. Unless, the Doctor had come to see him last night. When he was drunk and miserable about last couple of days and his family. The blanket, his shoes and clothes, it all made more sense now. He even suspected that somehow the lack of a terrible hangover was also the Doctor’s doing. Just what the hell had happened last night and how much did the alien know? The Brigadier folded the note and hid it in his pocket with a wierd feeling inside his chest. He turned on his heel and made way towards the Doctor’s lab, realising that somehow, he wasn’t frustrated with the alien at all. One had to maintain the facade to not to lose his face.

Unsurprisingly, Alistair didn’t find the Time Lord where he should be.

„Ah, Miss Shaw, do you happen to know where the Doctor is, by any chance?”

The woman looked away from the microscope as he entered.

„And good morning to you to, Brigadier.” She spun on her chair to face him. „Unfortunately, no. He took Bessie and took off, saying he needed to take care of few things.”

Of course, he had done just that. Typical. Alistair grimaced in dismay but not surprised.

„Well, when he gets back, do send him to my office, would you, miss Show? I need to speak with him. Good day.”

He dipped his head and was about to walk out when he was stopped.

„Brigadier?”

That tone of voice made him feel suddenly uneasy. Something was up and he supposed he wouldn’t like it. He turned back around. 

„Yes, miss Shaw?”

„The Doctor left some ointment for your neck. Care to elaborate why?” 

What?! 

He tried to look cool, he really did.

„Well, I’m not the Doctor, miss Shaw. I hardly know what goes through that head of his.” Maybe his words would be more believable if he didn’t look like a kid with his hand in a cookiejar. Liz most certainly wasn’t fooled, she just crossed her arms and looked at him. Then she sighed and kicked out a stool from under the table.

„Sit down, Brigadier.”

„I beg your pardon?” Why did he have a feeling of deja vu at that?

„The Doctor told me what’s going on. Now, sit down and let me have a look.”

„Did he now?” He lifted his eyebrow but didn’t move. „I don’t believe it’s necessary, miss Shaw. The Doctor tends to be overdramatic.”

„I’ll be the judge of that. So, will you sit or do I have to make you?”

„May I remind you, miss Shaw, that you’re still a member of UNIT and that’s not a way to address your boss?” Even as he said those words, he made his way towards the stool and sat down. Liz smiled in victory, stood up and retrieved something from the other desk.

„I’ll keep that in mind. Off with the tie, Brigadier.”

He really debated if he should argue more but decided against it. It seemed, that miss Shaw made up her mind and there was no escaping from her clutches now. He reluctantly, unmade his tie and unbuttoned both his jacket and upper buttons of his shirt. All while purposely avoiding eye contact. All he heard was a surprised gasp as he let his hand fall to the side.

„Why didn’t you tell anything about it earlier?!” Oh. Someone was mad.

„It looks worse than it is,” he hurried up with the answer. „And it didn’t look that bad at the time.”

Liz wasn’t fooled nor impressed, she just shook her head. She lifted her hand and started probing him and he tried really hard not to hiss or blush.

„Do you have any problems breathing or with swallowing?” He was about to decline but she touched a very tender spot and he couldn’t help but wince.

„A little bit but nothing I couldn’t manage.”

„Oh, I’m sure.” It was his turn to look unimpressed. Liz finally stopped probing his neck and dipped her fingers in a jar. Alistair looked suspiciously at the substance clinging to Liz’s fingers. „It may be a little cool upon contact, Brigadier.” 

He nodded slightly and with his permission Liz started applying the weird substance to the bruising. She wasn’t wrong, that thing was cool, but it wasn’t as if ice was put there, it was quite different and soon the whole area felt numb. Liz massaged the rest carefully in, which made the Brigadier blush and her smirk.

„All done,” she said and wiped her hands with the towel. „The Doctor said, you should apply it again in 3 hours. You can do it by yourself, it should be easier than the first dose.”

„Right,” Alistair cleared his throat and found it not hurting at all. „Thank you, miss Shaw.” 

She nodded and went to clean her hands as the Brigadier began dressing up.

„It’s good that you’re back at the good terms again,” she said as she turned the tap on. „The Doctor, said you had a good chat yesterday.”

Alistair got up from the stool and approached her, turning his collar up, dropping the tie across his neck.

„Yes, so it would seem.”

„You know he didn’t mean it, right? Calling you like he did.” Liz turned the tap off and turned towards him. He busied himself with his tie. „He was angry at the destruction not at you, not really. You had your orders, Brigadier.”

He felt worm inside as as he buttoned up his jacket he looked at Liz with a ghost of a smile.

„Yes, I think we’ve cleared that one up, miss Shaw.” He dipped his head in thanks and moved towards the door.

„Brigadier.”

He turned around and saw Liz with a smirk on her face holding the jar with mysterious ointment towards him. He looked sheepish for a moment and smiled apologetically, taking it from her hand.

„I will let the Doctor know you stepped by.”

„Thank you, miss Shaw.” He took the jar and exited the lab.

„Remember to apply it on your neck, Brigadier!” She shouted after his retreating back and shook her head. Liz could swear she was working with children sometimes. As she moved back to her microscope she smiled. It was good that everything was well again between the Doctor and the Brigadier, more or less.

 

Meanwhile, the Doctor parked Bessie in front of one of the buildings in London. He removed his gloves and fished for the piece of paper hidden in his pocket. Yes, the address was about right. He got out from the car and looked up. Judging from the numer the right flat should be on the fourth floor. The Time Lord pulled out his sonic screwdriver and used it to open the main door to the building then made his way up the stairs. When he made it, he glanced at each door looking for the right number and he sure found it. The Doctor stopped in front of it. Should he do it? Was it his place to do so? Wasn’t he overstepping some unsaid before boundaries? On the other hand, who would if not him? He shook his head and raised his hand to knock at the door frame. There was no going back back and he owned the man as much. 

The Doctor was chewing at his fingernail when the door had opened. A blond woman stood in front of him with a confused look on her face. She looked tired, almost as tired as the Brigadier did. She regarded the strangely dressed man in front of her.

“Can I help you?” 

The Doctor removed his finger from his mouth and looked at her.

“The question is, madam, how can I help you?” She looked even more confused at him and a little guarded as she tightly gripped the frame. “My name’s the Doctor.”

“You’re the one working with Alistair?” 

“That’s right, madame.”

“Has something happened to him?” He almost looked surprised at that. For someone, who threw divorce papers at her husband’s face she looked concerned. He shook his head and waved his hand.

“No, no, the Brigadier’s fine, well, as fine as can be expected. Can I come in?” He watched her shoulder relax and then after a moment she stepped aside.

“Please.” 

“Thank you.” The Doctor entered the flat looking around. Yes, he could picture Alistair living here. 

“The living room is to the left. Would you like some tea, Doctor?”

“That’s very kind of you, madame. Thank you.”

She nodded and moved to the kitchen and he made his way to the next room. There were pictures on one of the drawers and the Doctor picked one up. It showed the Brigadier with a small girl, around three years old, sitting on his shoulders. He was dressed in his uniform minus the cap and holding her hands up. Both of them were laughing. 

“That’s our daughter, Kate,” he heard a voice behind him and turned around still holding the photograph. 

“She looks like a little trickster,” the Brigadier’s wife smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Yes, she’s got that after her father.”

The Doctor put the frame back and sat down on one of the chairs.

“What kind of Doctor are you, though?” She asked as she purred both of them tea.

“Oh, pretty much everything,” he waved his hand dismissively and accepted the cup. “Thank you.” They sipped from their cups for a moment in silence, then Fiona sighed.

“Why are you here, Doctor? Did Alistair send you?” The Doctor put his cup back on the table.

“No, he doesn’t know I’m here.”

“Then why…”

“Mrs Lethbridge-Stewart,” he cut in, “do you really hate your husband so?” She looked as if he had struck her. Her hands gripped the cup a little tighter. “Your first instinct when you saw me was to ask if he was all right. If you hate him enough to divorce him, why the concern?”

She didn’t answer. Not at first. But then she let out a deep breath and set the cup aside.

“I don’t hate my husband, Doctor. I never did.” He looked at her prompting her to continue. “If I hated him, I wouldn’t have a daughter with him. That’s not it…”

“Then what is?” He leaned towards her in his chair.

“Do you know how it is? Not knowing what’s your husband’s doing? Whenever he’s even alive? When he’ll come back home? Two months ago was Kate’s birthday - he wasn’t here. Do you know how it is to tell your daughter that work was more important than her?” She choked out and furiously whipped at her eyes, preventing tears from flowing. The Doctor waited a few seconds.

“Your husband’s doing a very important work, mrs Lethbridge-Stewart. A whole world depends on him, in fact.”

She laughed a humorless laugh.

“Try telling that to a 5 year old.”

“Isn’t it better to have a father in some form, than not at all?” She shook her head.

“And what about me, Doctor?” She asked instead. “Don’t I deserve at least something? I have no idea what Alistair is doing. Sometimes, I just get a phone call he would be away - no saying when he gets back. What kind of life is that?”

The Doctor regarded the woman. She was visibly shaken, yet there was something in her eyes. Something that could tell him that not everything was lost. He rested both his hands on his knees and looked her straight in the eye.

“Try asking yourself this question, madam: If your phone rang right now and a voice on the other side would say your husband had died, what would you feel?” She didn’t answer but looked down. He gave her a couple of seconds before he continued. “Your husband is doing something incredibly important and he does it all to protect you. Believe me when I say, he would do anything to keep you safe, you and your daughter both.” _He would wipe out the whole other species._ He thought, yet this time there was only a tingling of bitterness inside of him, instead of range. He stood up and went to the drawer to retrieve the photograph he was looking at earlier and passed it to Fiona. “Tell me, Mrs Lethbridge-Stewart, does this show a selfish man?”

She looked down at the photo when there was a sound of bare feet on the floor. The Doctor turned around. There she was. Still looking sleepy, clutching her teddy bear in one hand stood little Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. She got her hair after her mother but her eyes were definitely Alistair’s. He smiled.

“Hello, what do you got there?” He asked, lifting his eyebrow.

“Mr Tiger,” she answered and approached him with curiosity. Probably it was due to his specific clothing. Then she extended her hand.

“I’m Kate.”

“The Doctor, pleasure to meet you, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.” He crouched down and shook her little hand and then pull out a candy from behind her ear. She looked with awe at him, beaming up from ear to ear. He ruffled her hair and stood up, turning back towards Fiona.

“Look at the time, I really should be off, madam. Thank you for the tea.” Fiona set the photograph aside and stood up. She took Kate on her arms and walked him off to the door.  
Just before she closed them behind him he turned around.

“You should both talk. He misses you.” She closed the door. Kate’s waving hand was the last thing he saw. 

Going back to UNIT HQ was a quick route, for once there was no traffic. The Doctor tried not to think too much about his meeting with the Brigadier’s wife, but hoped something good would come from it. Now all that could be done was to wait. 

With this thought he walked to his lab. Liz was nowhere in sight, yet it wasn’t long before he heard swift steps on the corridor.

“Ah, Doctor! There you are!” The Doctor turned around to face the Brigadier who approached him with haste. If he didn’t know any better he would say the man looked nervous. “Care to share, where have you been through almost the whole day?”

“You seem to manage quite fine without me, Brigadier,” The Time Lord crossed his arms. “Or did you miss me?” The Brigadier’s mustache twitched and the Doctor smirked. “Anyway, is there something specific you want from me, Lethbridge-Stewart?” The Doctor watched as the man fumbled with his swagger stick before he decided to put it on the table.

“Doctor, I- I came to thank you.” The Brigadier wasn’t looking at him as he said those words and the Doctor’s raised his eyebrows in surprise. Well, that was unexpected.

“Thank me, Brigadier? For what?”

“For yesterday. I may not recall all of it but what I do is enough and I suppose, I have you to thank for the lack of hangover this morning.” The Brigadier finally met the Doctor’s gaze and the Time Lord smiled in embarrassment and started to rub his chin. 

“Oh Yes, that’s an old Time Lord’s trick.” Alistair lifted his eyebrow.

“Care to share the secret, Doctor?”

“You wouldn’t understand it.”

The corner of Alistair’s lips lifted and he dipped his head.

“You’re probably right.”

“It’s not nice to drink alone, Brigadier.” The man looked at the alien for a moment, then took his swagger stick back under his armpit.

“I’ll make sure to have an extra glass next time around.” 

“You better do.” the Brigadier nodded with a small smile on his face and the Doctor remembered how Kate had looked like while smiling. Yes, she got that after her father also. Lethbridge-Stewart was almost at the door when he heard the Doctor voice that made him turn half way around. “And Alistair? It’s all going to turn all right.”

Yes, they both hoped so.

_tbc..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I hope you enjoyed this so far and I would love to hear back from you :)


	3. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After „the Ambassadors” the Brigadier’s conversation with the Doctor is suddenly interrupted by unexpected visitors.

“And how’s miss Shaw?” 

They walked side by side outside the UNIT HQ. It was a sunny day for a change. The Doctor left his cape in the lab and now wore only his jacket. Both of his hands were hidden in his pockets. The Doctor slowly put one foot in front of the other. It wasn’t his usual pace but he decided that the faster walk would probably aggravate the Brigadier’s heeling ribs.  
Of course, the other man had none of that and swiftly tried to move as quickly as he used to. The Doctor smirked as Lethbridge-Stewart slowed down after just a couple of that steps suppressing a wince. He decided not to comment on that as the Brigadier was already frustrated with the whole situation as it was.

“Oh, you know Liz. She’s still mad about how long it had taken us to get her but she’s fine.”

The Brigadier’s mustache twitched.

“I may actually pity you Doctor, you’re the one facing her wrath.” The Doctor shot him an amused look.

“Why, thank you Lethbridge-Stewart. I’ll remember that when you’re gonna be hiding from it in the safety of your office.” The Brigadier chuckled but then winced again, his hand subconsciously wandered towards his ribs but he had caughted himself and covered it by clasping both his hands behind his back. The Doctor frowned and rubbed his lower lip.

“And how are you, Brigadier?” As expected, an annoyed look was sent his way.

“Fine,” he cut in quickly. 

“You’re aware, you’re lucky? Being hit by that weapon the Ambassadors used, you should be dead. Come to think of it, I still don’t know how you’re not.” 

“Yes, you surely know how to make someone feel appreciated, Doctor,” the Brigadier’s expression was somewhere between annoyed and amused, “but really, I’m fine.”

They walked for some more time when suddenly, there was a sound of running behind them. It didn’t sound like military boots hitting the ground, it was much softer. The Doctor was the first to turn around and what he saw made his smile widely. The Brigadier, being second, didn’t catch what the Doctor had seen but instead, he felt something hitting his legs hard. He took a step back upon impact, then his brain registered something - there were hands wrapped around his knees. Small hands. His mouth hung open as he looked down and saw a mop of blonde hair. 

“Tiger…?” He whispered in disbelieve. The mop has moved and suddenly a pair of hazel eyes was looking up at him. There were tears in them but on the child’s face was a big smile.  
“Daddy!” She beamed up at him and he picked her up without hesitation. His sore ribs and chest protested almost immediately as spikes of pain flared even to his back but he didn’t care. He was holding his daughter. His baby girl wraped her little hands around his neck and buried her head within his shoulder. He held her close, stroking her hair with one of his hands, still not completely believing what had just happened.

“What are you doing here, Tiger?” Kate pulled away a little and put her hands on his cheeks. An even bigger smile split up her face.

“Visiting!” She hugged him again and then started to wiggle in his grasp. The Brigadier could feel all his muscles protesting at that action. “The Magic Man!” Kate all but screamed with happiness upon noticing the Doctor. The Brigadier’s mouth fell back open again. How Earth…?

“Hello, little one, how are you?” The Doctor smiled at the child ignoring Alistair’s surprised face.

“I’m visiting daddy!” Oh, the enthusiasm of that child. The Doctor cocked his head to one side and looked very pleased.

“Yes, you are. Quite happy that made him, don’t you think?” Kate turned again in Alistair’s grip, looking up at him.

“Are you happy, daddy?” He regarded his child with fond smile.

“Kate, you have no idea, how happy I’m, Tiger.” 

“Alistair, put her down, before you both fall over.” The smile disappeared from Lethbridge-Stewart face and his grip around his daughter tightened. He turned slightly to see his ex-wife approach them.

“Fiona,” he said but still hadn’t let go of Kate. An exasperated sigh left her lips.

“Alistair.” She wouldn’t back down. “Look, I can tell when you’re hurt, so why don’t you spare the both of us time and just go to the moment when you stop arguing.”

He was about to do just that, argue that is, he even opened his mouth but then the Doctor cut in.

“Brigadier, why don’t you hand Kate to me, hmm? Would you like that, my dear? Fancy some exploring?” Alistair was so surprised at that that he forgot what was he about to say to Fiona. Then Kate was turing her face towards him with that big eyes of hers, interest written clearly in them.

“Can I go, daddy? Can I go with the Magic Man?” He squinted his eyes at the Doctor above her head who looked suspiciously innocent. Then sighed.

“All right, but be nice to the Doctor.” He handed her to him and as he made eye contact the Time Lord wiggled his eyebrows at him. Alistair just rolled his eyes.

“Hello, Kate. Are you ready for an adventure?” The Doctor addressed the child and she nodded vigorously. “All right, so let's leave your parents to talk and we’re going to have some fun. Shall we?”

“Doctor, if you take her anywhere near your experiments…”

“Oh, don’t you worry, Lethbridge-Stewart.” The Doctor waved his free hand at him dismissively and began walking away with Kate sitting on his right arm. “Now, Kate, have you ever been told the story of three moons of Kastelius? No? Well…” The Brigadier just shook his head. He was looking at the retreating form of the Doctor when he felt a hand on his arm.

“Is there anywhere we could talk?” He nodded at Fiona and lead her to the bench not so far from where they were. He didn’t manage to hide his wince from her as he sat down.

“Is it serious?” She asked.

“What is?”

“Your injury. Don’t fool me Alistair, as I told you, I can tell when you’re hurt.” He sighed and looked ahead.

“No, it’s nothing.”

“You’re a commanding officer, you shouldn’t get hurt.” He could feel a headache coming. It always came to that argument and to his not being present. 

“Fiona - “

“I know. I’m not saying anything.” They sat in silence again.

“I didn’t know you cared.” He finally said quietly with a touch of sarcasm. 

“Alistair - “

“No, seriously,” it was his turn to cut in. He turned to fully face her, “I didn’t. Do you know how it felt? You didn’t even hand those papers to me, you’ve sent your lawyer. You could actually be decent enough to tell that to my face, that I’m not going to see my own daughter.” He turned his gaze away again. He wasn’t shouting, he felt resigned.

“I didn’t fill them in court,” she finally said and he snapped his eyes to her with his mouth open. “That’s why I’m here. I called it off for now.”

“For now?” He still didn’t fully comprehend what was happening. Fina nodded.

“ If not for ours sake, then for Kate’s. I will let you see her, be present in her life… But that’s it. I’d like us to try again, but I know it’s impossible. I can’t go through all of it again, Alistair. ” He mulled it over looking at his man exercising in the distance. So was she. 

“That’s it, huh?” He finally asked and stood up. “It’s been months, Fiona. Months without even a word. You expect me to do what? Bounce back happily?”

“Kate doesn’t know.” She said standing up to match his height. “I told her you were away.” Alistair visibly flinched.

“Always the bad, is that right? What do you want Fiona?” He was losing his temper. So was she.

“I want our daughter happy!” She shouted but then sat back down with defeated look on her face. The Brigadier sat next to her.

“I won’t change, Fiona,” he whispered looking down at his hands. “The work I do -”

 

“- is important, the word depends on you and so on, so I’ve been told, both by you and that weird friend of yours.” She cut in and let out a slow breath. He looked at her surprised. “But that’s it, isn’t it? I don’t even know what you do.”

“You know, I can’t tell you.” He whispered defeated. She just nodded.

“Yes, you keep saying that.” She answered bitterly but then took a deep breath in. “I want to give you a second chance, Alistair. I want Kate to have a father but the rest depends on you.”

Lethbridge-Stewart looked into her eyes, searching them. He took a deep breath in. 

*

His conversation with Fiona was still playing in his head, when he went looking for the Doctor and Kate. He didn’t find them outside, in his office, nor in the canteen. That left one possible place. The Doctor’s lab. Alistair was not amused. As he entered, the annoyed remark that was at the tip of his tongue was forgotten as he saw the image before him. There was Kate, sitting on a stool or more likely kneeling on it. She was looking at something that was put under the microscope and had the biggest smile on her face he could imagine. The Brigadier couldn’t help but smile himself.

“And I thought, I’ve told you not to corrupt my daughter, Doctor,” he said, trying to be stern but his eyes were twinking. Both heads snapped to him.

“Daddy! The Doctor showed me plants! Look at them!”

“Did he, now?” The Brigadier approached the table smirking at the Time Lord who looked at him with innocence written all across his face. “Should I ask, if all of them were harmless?” He smirked even wider at the Doctor’s displeased face, before he leaned over his daughter to take a look himself. 

“Really, Lethbridge-Stewart, you wound me.” The Brigadier kissed his daughter’s brow and hugged her.

“Fancy some ice cream, Tiger? And you can tell me all about, what you and the Doctor have been doing.” 

“Ice cream!” Kate spun around on the stool and threw her hands around Alistair’s neck and he picked her up.

“Well, it seems I’ve lost the popularity contest.” The Doctor noted dryly but upon looking he was smiling. The Brigadier raised his eyebrow. 

“Priorities, Doctor, Priorities.” He smiled back. “Now, we need to tell sergeant Benton, we’ll be away for some time.” The Doctor stood up at that and waved his hand dismissively.

“Do go and enjoy yourself, Brigadier. I’ll take care of it.” Alistair squinted his eyes with suspicion. “Off you go, the both of you!” There was something in the Doctor’s eyes that made the Brigadier relax and nod.

“I want to go back to this place still standing, Doctor.”

“Really, Brigadier.” It was the Time Lord’s turned to being not amused. Alistair deserved the time off even for a little while. Moreover, the Time Lord admitted that he took liking in Kate. Somehow, he had a inking that this child will grow to do exceptional things. He hoped he wasn’t wrong about that. He watched Lethbridge-Stewart smirk and securing a better grip on his daughter.

“All right then, Kate, say goodbye to the Doctor.” The little girl waved her little hand in his direction.

“Goodbye, Doctor!”

“Goodbye, my dear. Have a wonderful time with your father.” He smiled sincerely towards her. Yes, this child had definitely grown on him. He turned around to clean up the mess they both had made. Maybe it was better, for the Brigadier not to know the full extent of what they had been doing. Maybe Kate won’t give him away. It would be their little secret.

“Doctor?” He turned back around to face the Brigadier. “Thank you.”

The Doctor just waved his hand with a small smile. Lethbridge-Stewart nodded his way and walked out with his daughter in his arms. The Doctor had a feeling that the Brigadier somehow knew that he had been to his wife or at least suspected part of what had happened. The Time Lord shook his head and began collecting test tubes with a ghost of a smile hovering on his lips.

_tbc..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liked it? Leave a comment if you have some time - I would love to hear back from you :)


	4. Epilogue

The Doctor was methodically tinkering with Bessie in his garage. The old car was multifunctioning again and needed some tuning. The Time Lord rarely admitted it, but the slow work on his car was having a calming effect on him. He and Jo were freshly back from Peladon but the alien had to find something to do as he was restless. He looked at the clock and spotted it was already three o’clock. He frowned and whipped his hands from the oil.

“Jo, have you seen the Brigadier today?”

The girl looked up from the paper she was currently writing and bit down on the pen, thinking. She shook her head.

“No, but Mike said he would be away.”

Away? That didn’t sound like the Brigadier. The Doctor sat in the driver’s seat and started the engine. It rumbled but then gave a positive hum and began running smoothly. The Doctor patted the wheel affectionately and then leaned against the sit, rubbing his lower lip deep in thought.

“Did Mike tell you anything else?” He asked glancing towards his assistant.

“Beside that they had to deal with the Master while we were away? No.” Weird. Where would Lethbridge-Stewart go? The Doctor drummed his finger against his lips and tried to think. Had something happened or was it planned? 

“Jo?” He called still lost in thought but with a beginning of an idea. 

“Yes, Doctor?”

“What day do we have?”

“What day, Doctor?” Jo looked up confused. “It’s Saturday.”

“Yes, yes, but the date, Jo. What’s the date,” he waved his hand dismissively and looked at her.

“19th February,” she answered without missing a bit. 19th, 19th February… Oh! The Doctor’s eyes widened slightly. That explained a whole lot. He glanced at the clock again and then hopped out of Bessie.

“Right.” The Doctor collected his jacket from the cloth hanger. “Don’t wait up for me, my dear. Have a wonderful weekend.”

“Where are you going?” She turned around on her stool looking at him with confusion upon his sudden movements as he was sitting still just moments before.

“To see a friend!” He was already off, his voice coming from the corridor. Jo looked at the empty door then shrugged. It seemed, she had a early day off.

Lethbridge-Stewart was tired. Not only because the recent trouble with the Master, while the Doctor decided it would be the perfect day for gallivanting in that machine of his, no. The Brigadier knew this day would come, it was long overdue. It didn’t make it easier, tho. He managed to push away his feelings throughout the whole mess, hell, he even managed to do that for the last couple of hours. To anyone, he would seem totally unaffected. He managed to perfect that image thanks to his job, it would be uncalled for if he ever lost his composure in front of his men or strangers. His daughter didn’t need that. She had seen enough of him losing his temper while fighting with her mother. She didn’t need to see, how deeply the whole situation affected him.  
Truth be told, he didn’t know, why he decided to go back to UNIT HQ instead of heading straight to his flat. Maybe it was because he didn’t want to face those empty walls right now or maybe something different. Right now, even walking through the well known corridors was slowly calming him down. The storm in his head that was going on since he had left that dreaded building was finally fading away. He loosened his tie as he approached the door to his office and then put his hand on the handle. It gave away at just the sightless pressure. Alistair frowned. Weird, he could swear he had locked the door before leaving. He slowly pushed the door open and cautiously made a step forward, regretting for a moment that he didn’t have his gun with him. What he saw inside, made him stop right in his tracks. 

“Finally! I was getting bored by just sitting here and waiting for you, Brigadier.” Alistair could just stand and gap at the man sitting in front of his desk. “My dear fellow, I hope you won’t be just standing there?” The Doctor asked as he crossed his legs and casually dropped his hand over the back of a chair. Alistair finally managed to shake off the initial shock of seeing the alien in his office and closed the door.

“Doctor, I gather you came back from your little side voiage, anything interesting?” He made his way into the office, removing the burgundy tie completely off his neck. The Doctor waved his hand dismissively. 

“Oh, just some fighting to the death to save an alien government, nothing that should be of your concern, Brigadier.” Lethbridge-Stewart squinted his eyes for a moment but then decided not to dwell and seek further explanation. He was too tired for that. The Doctor watched the other man closely. It wasn’t the first time he had seen the Brigadier in civvies but it still was an unusual sight. The man wore a black suit with blue and white striped shirt underneath, nothing special, but still quite different look than his normal day to day uniform. 

“So, that machine of yours, I gather it’s working again?” The Brigadier turned towards the Time Lord curious but the alien shook his head.

“ Sadly, no. It was all the Time Lords doing. You’re still stuck with me, Lethbridge-Stewart.” The corner of Alistair’s mouth lifted slightly at that. “Heard the Master, was giving you some troubles.” The Brigadier stopped and visibly flinched. The whole mess was still giving him a headache at the mare reminding. Yet in that moment, he decided not to tell the Doctor the whole truth about the accident. He didn’t see a point for the alien to know that he himself was transported to parallel Earth that the Time Lord also traveled to earlier. Not to mention the whole mess with the Chestertons. No need to worry him as it was all well now. Thankfully. 

“Oh yes, we had. The chap was trying to trick us but underestimated us, no surprise there.” The Doctor frowned at that. He had a feeling that there was more to the tale than the Brigadier let on but decided to let it slide for now. Alistair let out a tired breath as he removed his jacket and dropped onto his chair massaging his forehead.

“How did it go?” The Doctor asked watching him.

“As well as could be expected,” the Brigadier answered not looking at the Time Lord, then realised to what question he had answered and his head snapped up towards him. The Doctor just smiled faintly. 

“Don’t look so surprised, Lethbridge Stewart, I do remember some things,” the Brigadier squinted his eyes suspiciously.

“I don’t remember telling you anything about it, Doctor.”

“You didn’t have to,” he just answered without further explanation. “So?” He probed the man to elaborate more. Alistair leaned back. He looked wary.

“It’s finalised,” he sighed. 

“And Kate?”

Lethbridge-Stewart shook his head.

“She’ll live with her mother. They’re moving out from London in a month.” The Doctor silently regarded the man sitting in front of him. It was surprising how fast Lethbridge-Stewart was able to let his guard down around him these days. The Time Lord couldn’t imagine this conversation taking place somewhere in the past. Not like this. In his time spent on Earth, the Doctor found out that he got attached to this people, even cared for them and sometimes regretted how he had acted at the beginning of his adventure over here. That’s why, there was genuine hurt in his eyes when he spoke his next words.

“I’m really sorry, Alistair.” That’s another thing. The man in front of him wasn’t just the Brigadier, no. And to think, it all had started after that dreaded Silurian Accident.  
Lethbridge-Stewart just shook his head.

“I knew it was coming, Doctor. It was… inevitable.”

“Even so, I’m still sorry. You of all people didn’t deserve that.” The corner of Alistair’s lips twitched and he dipped his head a litte.

“I know, what you have done, Doctor and I’m thankful. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have the extra time I had.”

The Brigadier looked the Doctor squarely in the eye. Oh, yes, they had played this game for some time now. The Time Lord knew, that Lethbridge-Stewart knew but neither of them had never openly admitted to anything. The Doctor nodded and flashed the other man a sad smile.

“It was the least I could do. After all, I’m very much to blame for the whole situation.” The Brigadier frowned and the alien waved his hand between the two of them. “If you’ve never met me in the underground, there would be no UNIT.”

“If I’d never met you in the underground, then Kate wouldn’t probably be born.” The Brigadier retored to that and then realising what he had said, blushed and tried to cover it by coughing and wriggling in his chair. The Doctor arched his eyebrow clearly amused. “Well, at least doing this job, I can make sure she’ll be safe.” The Brigadier finally said.

“Yes, that’s some comfort.” The Doctor knew that Alistair wasn’t fine but he also knew that no matter what, the other man wouldn’t let that completely known. The only thing, the alien could do about it now was stand by his human friend - let him know, he wasn’t alone in it. He watched as Alistair began to lose himself in his thoughts and decided it was about time. 

“Right!” He landed both of his feet soundly on the floor and clapped his hands, making the Brigadier jump startled in his chair.

“Doctor, what in blazes are you doing?” The Time Lord ignored him, searching something that was hidden below his chair and then produced two glasses that he placed on the table and then a bottle.

“I believe you’ve never tried Venusian Brandy before, is that right, Lethbridge-Stewart?” He grinned at the man while uncorking the bottle. The Brigadier raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair.

“Can’t believe I had,” he answered and watched as the alien poured liquid into both glasses. The Time Lord shook his head and made a disapproving sound.

“You, my dear Brigadier, are here for a treat - This,” the Doctor passed one glass to Alistair and took the other, “is much better that this vile stuff you call brandy.” 

Lethbridge-Stewart accepted the glass and smelled it but didn’t take a sip yet.

“Your children, Doctor, “he began suddenly and the alien looked up from stirring his own glass, “do you miss them?”

“All the time,” he answered without missing a bit, thinking not only about his children but also about his granddaughter and his past companions. The Brigadier nodded, thinking about his own daughter, then raised his glass.

“To our children.”

The Doctor leaned towards the desk raising his own glass.

“To the future.”

The Brigadier smiled.

“To the future of our children.” The Doctor smiled too, nodded and clinked his glass against Alistair’s. They both were fathers with some sort of guilt weighting on their shoulders but more importantly they were friends. The Doctor didn’t know for how long he would be stuck on Earth. What he knew, was that his exile didn’t sound as bad as before.

*  
*  
*

The sun was slowly setting down, bathing the UNIT HQ in a red glow. In one of the windows, a faint light was coming from a desk lamp that faced the wall instead of the desk itself, while two man sat on each side of it.

*  
*  
*

“Seven hells, Doctor! Where did you find this stuff?!”

The Time Lord’s chuckle could be heard across the corridor.

*  
*  
*

_It’s not nice to drink alone, Brigadier._

_I’ll make sure to have an extra glass next time around._

He always did. Right until the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Big thank you to anybody for reading this! I’ve changed the title to fit more (I always come up for it at the end :))
> 
> The trouble with the Master and the trip to Inferno-Earth happened in the book "The Face of the Enemy" which also marks Brig's divorce.

**Author's Note:**

> Liked it? Leave a kudos or a comment! They inspire me to write and make my day :) I would love to hear your thoughts!


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